ATD Catalog Copy

[davemarc]

I've been informed that the two faxed catalog pages that I received are from
a "late edition" of Penguin's Winter 2007 catalog. I've just talked with a
buyer at a Manhattan bookstore who's also received the catalog and seen the
Pynchon listing.

Topping page 4 is

***

The Penguin Press is
honored to be publishing

Against the Day
by Thomas Pynchon

***

Under that large-type announcement, in smaller type, is Pynchon's statement:
"Spanning the period between the Chicago World's Fair of 1893 and the years
just after World War I...."

Then, topping page 5, is

***
>From
Against the Day

***
followed by the book excerpt.

On the bottom right, in smaller characters, is book information (ISBN
number, the 992 page count, etc.) including the *December* on-sale date and
the line "STRICT ON SALE" which I assume means that there will be no sales
prior to the on-sale date, which was the policy with Mason & Dixon.

Below that is this block of small text:

***

Marketing:
*Advance Reading Copies
* Widespread national review
coverage
* National advertising

***

There is no author photo.

Reasons why this particular excerpt was chosen? Here are three
possibilities: It's the right size for the catalog page, it's
self-contained, and it's funny. If the marketing of M&D is a precedent, then
it's also the opening of ATD.

My apologies for not noticing the "pinkinroller'd/punkinroller'd"
discrepancy sooner.

d.